Haley goes punk! ?
by mildlybizarre
Summary: Haley catches Nathan cheating on her...so what does she do? What anyone in her position would do, she runs away from home and joins a rock band. The once cautious, straightedge, goodie-two-shoe bookworm learns to party hard.
1. Angry Nerd Rock

Angry Nerd Rock

Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill but I do own Vincent, Tom, Michelle, and Your Best Nightmare.

Haley sat in her room on a Sunday afternoon, staring at the hundreds of pages of information she gathered on J.D. Salinger. "Ughh....other people will copy their reports off the internet in twenty minutes but I have to be cursed with a damn conscious!" She said to herself thinking about all the time she spent working, well other students were out living life. Just then her dad walked into her room looking really upset.

"What the hell is this?" He yelled, throwing Haley's report card onto her desk. Worried, she picked it up to find straight A's.

"Huh?" She replied.

"Don't huh me. This is unacceptable!" He said pointing to the A- in biology.

"You're not honestly going to get pissed over a freakin' A-?

"I don't want to see you slacking off anymore! First you were five minutes late for school that one day and now this!"

Then her mom came to see what all the commotion was.

"Mom, can you please explain to dad that..." Haley started, but her mom cut her off.

"Look Haley, we're not going to take this anymore. You're out of control! No TV for a month!"

"Out of control? What the hell? Other kids' parents would die for these grades! And the last time I watched TV was 3 months ago! I've been so busy with my schoolwork."

"What? Is that a threat? You're unhappy because you're grades didn't kill us?"

"You're being ridiculous!" Haley yelled back at them.

"Don't talk back to us. We're your parents. Show some respect."

"Fuck this!" Haley screamed as she stormed out of the house.

"Hey, get back here..." She heard as she slammed the door shut and walked off. Behind her she heard them arguing over the best way to punish her, "We'll take away her computer privileges...No, we'll make her go to bed at 8:00 pm...No, I got it! Let's confiscate her money..." was the last thing Haley heard as she walked down the sidewalk, outraged. She decided to go to her boyfriend's place, since Nathan could totally relate to the insane parents thing.

When she got to his apartment, no one answered the door so she let herself in. What? She studies a lot. Why wouldn't she know how to pick a lock?

As she dug a way through the piles of clothes, trash, and fast food boxes, Haley heard some noise coming from Nathan's bedroom. When she got to the door, she realized the noises were moaning. She opened the door to find Nathan on top of a half-naked blonde girl. Tears streamed from her eyes when he looked at her. His world fell apart when he saw her face. What have I done? Nathan thought as her sadness went to rage.

"You asshole!" She screamed as she grabbed his baseball bat from the closet and headed for the 500 dollar stereo Nathan had bought just last week.

"Wait! What are you doing?" Nathan yelled as he chased after her.

"I'm evening the score." She said as she shattered his stereo into a thousand pieces and then turned to his plasma TV.

"Haley! Stop! Let me explain!" Nathan said as he watched in horror.

"Save it! There's nothing to explain. You broke my heart. I'm breaking your stuff." She said calmly as she threw the bat into the screen.

Staring at the her work with pride Haley said, "There, your interior makeover is complete" as she headed for the door.

Nathan chased her outside. "Haley wait!"

"Leave me alone. In case you didn't realize what I was trying to say by the broken TV and stereo – we're over Nathan."

"I don't care about the stuff. I'm sorry Haley."

"Yea, so am I." She said and then she was gone.

---

She ran until she couldn't anymore...then the tears came. Wind blew through the trees above. Birds chirped happily in their nests. The sun was out and the sky was bright blue but Haley was in hell. Everything she had worked so hard for had fallen apart. "Nothing I do is good enough for them." She whispered to herself as she stopped at the strange place her feet had taken her. In front of her stood the old tree house where Lucas and her used to hang out in when they were young. She took a seat at the base and decided to stay because no one would find her there except–

"Hales?" Lucas jumped down from a branch above and smiled at his best friend, until he noticed how red her face was. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She said, trying to hide her tears.

"You've always been a bad liar."

"Ok! Fine! Everything's wrong! My parents hate me and I just caught Nathan and he was on top of this whore and he was kissing her and..." She screamed out until she started crying again.

"It's going to be ok, Hales." Lucas said as he put his arms around her and held her close to him.

"No, it's not. I have nothing." Haley said faintly as he felt her cry on his shoulder.

"It will and you've always got me. I'm here for you." He said putting his hand on the back of her head and running fingers through her hair, trying to calm her down.

After a few minutes, Haley looked up into Lucas' eyes. Their blue gaze was the only constant in her life. He had always been there for her to make everything right, but this time was different. This time she had to do something. She had to escape. He couldn't make her problems go away anymore like a band aid on a bruise. The bruise had gotten too big.

Haley looked up at the tree house. "Those were much better times." Lucas said as they both thought back to the days when life was simpler, easier. "Want to do inside?" He asked, hoping a little reminiscing would cheer her up.

"Yea." She said as she climbed the trunk. He followed her and they opened the little door to the dusty room inside. Snooping around, they found, old toys, a shelf full of books and–

"My old electric guitar!" Haley said excitedly as she picked it out of the mess. "I haven't seen this since..."

"...the last day of eighth grade..." Lucas finished her sentence. "...we hid it up here from your parents because they thought being able to play a guitar meant that you're on drugs."

"Yea." Haley laughed.

Lucas felt good to see her smile again. "Hey why don't you play me something?"

"Nawww...I can't play anymore."

"Come on, give it a try."

"Alright, I'll try. But I can't promise anything more." She said doubting that she would remember anything but to her surprise it all came back. She started playing like she had never quit.

"Wow, Hales. Sounds like you still got it."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely." Lucas said as his cell went off. "Hello..." "...ok I'll be there in a minute."

"My mom says I have to come home. Want me to walk you home?"

"Naw..." Haley said, unable to take her fingers off the guitar. "...I think I'll stay here awhile."

"Alright, call me if you need anything." He said as he climbed down. Haley waved goodbye from the window. Just like old times...just me and my guitar. She thought as she began to make up a song and strum along to it.

---

Meanwhile Vincent, the drummer of the band, Your Best Nightmare, sat watching in his opinion the poorest imitation of singing he had seen.

"Do we have to listen to this any longer?" He whispered to his band mates sitting next to him.

"Come on, you know we need a new lead singer." Said Tom, the guitarist.

"Yea, but this guy's terrible. Can't you just say "next"? Tell him we'll call him or something."

"You can't treat singers like they're girls you slept with, Vince." Michelle, the bassist added with a laugh.

"Sure, you can and I don't treat all girls like that, just the slutty ones."

"All the girls you're with are slutty."

"Details...Hey, do you hear that?" Vincent said trying to identify the sound.

"What? Him?"

"No, not that pathetic excuse for a singer, that..." Past the sound of the howling auditioner, he could hear an electric guitar, played with skill and a strong voice singing along."

"Now that person can sing."

"I'm going to find them." Vincent said as he stood up.

"Hey! Wait, I'm not finished." The guy auditioning for them said.

"Quit while you're ahead buddy." Vince said as he walked out the door.

He followed the sound to a tree outside the building. What? That can't be right. He thought until he noticed the tree house and the girl playing inside.

"You're all I ever wanted. You're all I ever needed..." Haley sang sadly thinking of her cheating boyfriend.

Whoa....nsync? Maybe she's a little too soft... Vincent thought until...

"...so tell me what to do now when I–I–I hate you're no good cheating asshole whore fucking guts." Haley screamed in rage.

Vincent smiled. She's perfect.

---

Hope you like this story. I have a lot of ideas for it. I don't like to put a lot of cussing but I needed to empathize the point. Please Review!!!


	2. Up & Go

Up and Go

Sorry this chapter took so long. Hope you like it.

Just as Haley finished screaming her song, she noticed a guy staring at her. At first she found it a little strange but he was cute so she didn't mind. He was wearing a black t-shirt, faded jeans, and one of those punker bracelets Haley had always laughed at. She had always found the whole uniform thing kind of ridiculous. Haley thought the guy had nice hair, but she liked his eyes most. They was deep and intense. They made the guy look like there was more to him than meets the eye. Haley smiled and waved at her audience.

"Hey. You're awesome!" Vincent said as he walked towards her.

"That's a little forward, don't you think?" Haley replied sarcastically.

Vince laughed. "No, I mean your singing...and playing. I want you to be the lead singer of our band."

"Haha...good one."

"I'm serious. We were holding auditions next door and you're the best we've heard."

"Really?" Haley said shocked.

Vincent nodded his head. "Look, come play for my band mates. They'll love you."

"What the name of your band?"

"Your Best Nightmare."

"Your Best Nightmare! I love you guys. What happened to Jonnie...your old singer? Did he die or something?"

"Almost...he fell in love...with some Hawaiian chick. She convinced him that there's more to life than rock music...but then again he does enough crack, she probably could've convinced him anything."

Haley laughed. "Well that sucks."

"Not really. If he hadn't left I never would've met you."

"Yea...this must be fate." She said with a smile.

"So what do think? Want to join our band?"

"I'd love to..." Haley said but then she realized her parents would never allow it. "...but I can't. I'm only in high school. I can't just run off and join a band."

"I'm really sorry to hear that, but if you change your mind we'll be here until midnight." Vince said and then left her to think it over.

Haley wandered home in a daze. Me? Haley James? In a band? It's the coolest thing in the world. God, I wish I could. She thought as she entered her house.

"Where the hell have you been?" Her parents yelled as she walked in the door.

"Out." Haley said as she slammed the door to her room shut.

She sat down looked around her room. Everywhere there were papers and books – years of work and for what? She picked up her report card, all A's but it meant nothing to her. No matter hard she tried, she would never make her parents happy...so why try at all?

Then it hit her. She had to go. She needed this escape. It was a once in a lifetime chance and she had to take it, no matter how crazy it seemed. She grabbed her coat and unlatched her window. As she left, she noticed the clock...it was 11:48 pm.

Jumping from her 2nd story window to a tree beside and finally to the ground, Haley took off running as fast as she could. What if she was too late?

---

Meanwhile Peyton and Brooke wondered down the street. Peyton was admiring the beauty of the dark night sky, while Brooke was drunk off her ass.

"Damn that chess club queen can run!" Brooke exclaimed as Haley flashed by them.

---

Lucas was also out that night. He had snuck out to search for Haley. He wondered through the streets of Tree Hill worried sick about her. She was so upset. There's got to be something I can do for her. He thought as he continued to walk.

---

Running hard against the pavement and knocking down 2 little kids as she did, Haley made it just as Your Best Nightmare was loading up their van.

"Haley!" Vince said relieved that she had come.

"How do you know my name?" She asked.

"I talked to some of the locals about you and eighth grade guitaring days." Vince replied. "So are you gonna play for us?"

"Crap!" Haley said. "I forgot my guitar."

"That's not a problem." Vince said, handing her one from the van.

"Who the heck is this?" Michelle and Tom asked looking confused.

"This is our new lead singer."

"Oh no, not one of these again. Vince, we're so tired of lying to girls for you."

"No dudes, I'm serious. She was the one playing outside."

"Yea, sure..." They started again but stopped mid-sentence at the sound of Haley playing guitar. "...whoa" was all they utter out as they listened.

Haley, on the other hand, lost the sense of everything going on around her...She turned up her amp and climbed the center stage of town square. People all around gathered to watch her play...among those people were Lucas, Peyton, and Brooke.

"Wow! She can just do everything." Brooke said feeling a little woozy.

"Oh my God, is that Haley?" Peyton said shocked. Lucas just stared. He knew Haley was awesome at guitar but he never thought she would be able to perform like this in front of so many people. She had always been too shy in the past.

Haley onstage was surprised that she liked the attention so much. She felt like she had finally found her calling in life. Then he ruined her day...again.

She noticed his face in the crowd, looking as bedazzled as the rest of them...and he was coming closer. She felt a tear whelm up in her eye but she held it back. Haley tried to keep playing and ignore him but she couldn't take it anymore. She jumped off stage and ran off.

"First running...then guitar...now running again. Damn girl, make up your mind!" Brooke yelled out.

Nathan took off after her, and noticing what was going on, Vincent took off after him. As Nathan ran he felt the breeze pulling him back...No wait, those are hands. He realized as he fell to the ground.

"Stay away from her!" Vince yelled.

"Leave me alone. You don't know what's going on!" Nathan spat out.

"I know that my new band mate doesn't want to see you and that's enough for me."

Nathan tried to fight Vince but though he didn't look it, Vince had twice Nathan's strength.

"Ok fine, I give." Nathan shouted out and Vince released him. He pretended to walk back to townsquare then he suddenly turned around and ran past Vince.

"Dammit." Vincent said as he ran after him again.

"Haley, please stop! I need to talk to you."

"There's nothing to talk about, Nathan."

"I know I messed up but I..." He stopped talking not by choice, but because it's hard to speak when someone's hands are around your throat.

"Let me go." Nathan choked out.

"What do you want me to do with him?" Vince asked Haley.

"I don't care what happens to him anymore." She said as she walked back to townsquare.

Vincent laughed. "You hear that? She just gave permission to beat the crap out of you." Nathan looked up at him, afraid and gulped.

---

That last encounter finalized Haley's decision. She was getting out of here, NOW. She had to get away from her parents, Nathan, Brooke throwing up on Peyton's shoes, and...oh my God, Lucas....he was the one reason she didn't want to go. She felt terrible for leaving him alone in this crazy town but she knew he would understand.

"Hey, you were awesome!" Tom and Michelle exclaimed as Haley approached.

"That's good..." Haley said as she got into the van. "...because I'm coming with you guys."

Next Chapter:

-Haley says goodbye to Lucas

-What will happen to Nathan?

-Life in a rock band

Give suggestions! Please Review!!!


	3. Don't Leave Me

Don't Leave Me

Nathan stumbled across the street with a bloody nose, a black eye, and one of his teeth missing. Vincent's work? Naw, Vince let him go...this is what happens when you run full speed into a stop sign. At site of the band's van, he tried to use all his remaining strength to crawl the last few feet, coughing out small portions of blood as he did.

Meanwhile, Lucas, Peyton, and Brooke stood in the now diminishing crowd.

"Brooke, those were brand new converses! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Peyton, are you blind? I did you a favor. Now you can come with me to Journeys and buy some real shoes. I saw the cutest black ones yesterday..." Brooke's voice faded as her and Peyton walked away, leaving Lucas standing there in a trance. He thought back to when Haley was playing onstage. It made him think of her in a totally different way..."Wait, eww NO! She's your best friend" ran through his mind, but he couldn't help it. Haley deserves someone better than Nathan...someone that would never hurt her. Lucas thought as he noticed her sitting in a black van with a "You suck and that's sad" Happy Bunny bumper sticker on the side.

"Hales, what are you doing in there?"

"Umm..." Haley was at a loss for words. She didn't know how to tell him she's leaving. Luckily she was interrupted the sight of Nathan crawling towards them.

"Dude, what happened to him?"

Haley laughed. "I think Vince did that to him."

"Hey, I like that guy already!" Lucas said but his smile faded when he saw the serious look on Haley's face.

"Luke, can we go somewhere to talk?"

"Sure."

Haley and Lucas headed back to the old tree house. They didn't know it then but it was far from the last time they would be there. They took a seat inside and Haley took a deep breath before she spoke.

"Luke, I'm leaving."

"What? How? Why?" All the interrogatory words in the English dictionary came to his mind all at once.

"I need to. I'm sorry but I have to get away."

Lucas couldn't believe it. In his devastation, he started singing though he didn't notice he was. "Don't leave me all alone, just drop me off at home. I'll be fine it's not the first, just like last time but a little worse and She said that I'm not the one that she thinks about and She said it stopped being fun, I just bring her down. I said Don't let your future be destroyed by my past. She said Don't let my door hit your ass."

"Luke don't make this harder."

"One more chance, I'll try this time. I'll give you yours, I won't take mine. I'll listen up, pretend to care. Go on ahead. I'll meet you there."

"Lucas, come on."

"Oh yea, I bet this is hard for you. Yea, your best friend's leaving you in this town where well let's face it...Peyton's boring, Brooke's a drunk, it looks like Nathan won't be able to talk for a while, Tim's retarded, and Jake's always stuck babysitting...who am I supposed to hang with?"

"You'll be ok."

"Yea, whatever just go."

"Luke, I don't want to leave with things like this."

"Then don't leave."

"I have to."

"Then I guess that's it. Go. Have fun in your little rock band...hey write a song about the best friend you left behind."

"I can't believe this. I thought you of all people would understand." Haley said as she got up with a tear hovering in her eye. As she walked away, Haley heard Lucas scream out these last words, "Let's try this one more time with feeling."

As Haley got closer to the van, she wiped away her tears hoping that no one would notice.

"Hey you. Ready to go?" Vincent asked.

"Yea...wait, can we make one stop before go?"

"Sure."

The van pulled up beside Haley's house. It was 2:53 in the morning. Her parents would be fast asleep. "I'll just be a minute, I promise." Haley said as she climbed the terrace to her window.

"You sure this thing is steady." Vincent said looking at the wooden terrace suspiciously.

"Yea. I've climbed this thing tons of times." Haley said a little to Vincent's shock.

Haley went inside her room and tried to figure out the best way to say goodbye to her parents. Waking them was out of the question. They would never let her go. So she decided to write a note. She tore out a sheet of paper from one of her many notebooks and quickly explained why she had to go, though she knew whatever she wrote they would never understand. Then she cleared off all the books and papers and left the note in the center of the now empty desk. After that she emptied her backpack and threw a few necessities into it: some clothes, a few cds, her cd player, and a notebook where she had been writing some poems and songs. She figured anything else she needed, she would just buy on the road. She came out of her house ten minutes after she had entered and they drove off.

While Tom and Michelle practiced a new song in the back of the van, Vincent whispered to Haley, "Hey, are you ok?"

"Yea. Sure. Why?"

"Well, when I came to the van Tom told me you went to say goodbye to your friend Lucas and when you came back it looked like had been crying." Haley was surprised he had noticed. "I didn't want to say anything in front of the others. So what happened with him? ...if you don't mind me asking."

"He was mad at me for leaving him." Haley said remembering all the times Luke had been there for her.

"Do you guys go out or something?"

"No, he's my best friend."

"Well if he's really your best friend, he'll come around."

"What if he doesn't? What if he never speaks to me again?" Haley said her thoughts aloud.

Vincent laughed. "I saw the way he was looking at you when you were playing. He'll definitely be speaking to you again."

"What do you mean?" Haley said confused.

"I think you know what I mean."

"Eww. You're joking right? Me and Luke? Come on, we could never be like that. We've been best friends since kindergarten."

"What's wrong with that?"

"I donno. It would just be too weird, like dating my brother or something. Anyway, I'm kinda done with guys for now."

"Whoa, I didn't know you were like that. Maybe you'd feel better talking to Michelle." Vincent said winking at her. Haley slapped him on the arm.

"Is that all guys think about? I meant I just got out of a bad relationship and I'm not looking for any more of that."

"Oh..." Vincent said acting disappointed. "...well joining the band is perfect for that. They'll be lots of flings."

"Yea sure, like every guy will be lining up to be with me."

"Why wouldn't they?" Vincent said seriously.

"I don't know because I'm me."

"Yea, you're you. You're smart, hot, and you can sing."

Haley half smiled at his attempts to boost her confidence. "In the past no one's really seen that in me."

"Well I do." Haley checked his eyes to see if he was serious. The rest of the ride was silent except for Tom's guitar. Haley looked out the window wondering if it was a mistake to leave Tree Hill.

The van finally stopped at a hotel four hours later. They were in Virginia. Haley noticed a sign in the distance. "Van's warped tour?" She said aloud in amazement.

"Hehe. Yea, I thought I'd surprise you. One of the bands dropped out last minute and we're filling in for them."

"Oh my God! You're not serious!" Haley could barely hold back her excitement. Then she realized it meant she would have to sing at the Warped Tour...in front of hundreds of people. Fear overwhelmed her. Vince knew what was going through her head and he tried to reassure her. "Yea, it'll be awesome. We're playing in two days. Tomorrow we'll catch you up on the song lyrics." He said as he walked out carrying some instruments. The stage crew and the rest of the band unloaded all the stuff from the van and walked into the hotel lobby. Haley got out of the van and just stood there in a daze.

"Haley, you coming?" Michelle said snapping her out of it.

The band decided to get two separate rooms, to the guys disappointment. Tom and Vincent would room together and Haley and Michelle would share a room. Vincent jokingly warned Michelle about what Haley had said earlier. Haley punched him of the shoulder to show him he wasn't funny. Then they went up and got some sleep, considering that none of them had slept in the last 24 hours.

---

Meanwhile back home, Haley's parents were yelling at her empty room to get ready for school. Finally they went inside and found the note. It read:

_Dear Mom and Dad,_

_I'm leaving. Well, by the time you read this I'll already be gone. I'm sorry you had to find out this way but I knew you would never let me go if I told you. I just couldn't take it anymore. I feel like I've worked so hard and for what? Your disapproval? A cheating boyfriend? Oh, right you guys never knew about Nathan. What? Surprised? You wouldn't let me have a dog, why would you let me have a boyfriend? I don't mean to sound angry, it's just what I'm trying to say is it was all becoming too much. I'm sixteen and I feel like I'm watching my life pass me by. I'm sorry but I can't stay here and follow your plan for me. I need to figure out what I want to be on my own. I've joined a rock band and have finally begun to live my life._

_Love,_

_Haley_

---

The next day, well technically the same day 8 hours later, the band practiced all the songs they were going to perform. Then they went out for dinner. While they ate, Vincent's cell went off. He went outside to answer it. When he came back in he smiled at Haley.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing. It's just that I was right. I'm always right."

"What are you talking about?"

"You'll see."

The next day, this time literally, Haley paced back and forth in her room. She was so nervous about the concert tomorrow. The rest of the band was off swimming. Haley didn't want to swim but she told them she could use a tan. Then Vincent went off about how sunlight will ruin her voice and that she should stay in her room, which made absolutely no sense. She finally got bored of going over all the possible scenarios of how things could go wrong when she sang and decided to wander around the hotel. But before she could go out the door, the phone rang.

"Hello?" Haley said wondering who it could be.

"Haley? Finally! It's impossible to get a hold of you." Haley cringed at what she imagined would be said next.

---

That's all for now. Tell me what you think. Do you guys like Vincent? Please Review!!!


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